India's Asia Cup hero Abhishek Sharma's return to the One-day format did not start well. The Punjab batter had a disappointing outing in the India A vs. Australia A match, as he was dismissed for a golden duck in the second unofficial ODI.
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India A is currently playing against Australia A in a three-match unofficial ODI series. The Men in Blue outplayed the visitors in the first game, registering a win by 171 runs.
Abhishek Sharma dismissed for a duck as Shreyas Iyer disappoints
Abhishek had a superb Asia Cup 2025. He ended as the tournament's leading run-scorer with 314 runs in seven innings and was awarded the 'Player of the Series' award for his exceptional display.
While speculations over his inclusion in the Indian ODI setup continue, the batter's performance in the unofficial match does not help his case. He was dismissed by Jack Edwards for a nought in the first ball of the second over.
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Edwards inflicted another big blow on India A, as he dismissed the Men In Blue's skipper, Shreyas Iyer for a low score of just 8 runs, which reduced India to 17 for 3. Iyer was coming off a wonderful ton in the 1st match, where he scored 110 off just 83 balls.
The side will now look to rebuild from here on and stitch some crucial partnerships to register a respectable total on the board.
Abhishek Sharma: India's next opener in the ODI format?
With Rohit Sharma's ODI future uncertain, reports suggest that the Indian selectors are looking at the Punjab batter as a replacement for the Indian ODI captain.
Abhishek's form and consistency in the T20I format have impressed everyone, and his recent Asia Cup knocks against Pakistan and his ability to handle pressure were a cherry on top of a cake.
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India's next ODI assignment is against the mighty Aussies, and Abhishek will be part of the T20I squad while his 50-over chances remain doubtful. Rohit Sharma is likely to feature in that series, which means that the young star might have to wait for his chances.